Vendor lock-in

In economics, vendor lock-in, also known as proprietary lock-in, customer lock-in, lock-in is a situation in which a customer is so dependent on a vendor for products and services that he or she cannot move to another vendor without substantial switching costs, real and/or perceived. Frequently, the term connotes some level of intention on the vendor's part to create a lock-in situation, but often a client may be said to be "locked in" in situations that arose unintentionally.